


Untitled

by Subliminally_Twisted



Category: No Fandom
Genre: F/M, Romance, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:34:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29853306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subliminally_Twisted/pseuds/Subliminally_Twisted
Summary: [I majorly suck at summaries and am a bit embarrassed of this story but it is like a child to me, I have rewritten it four times, and I think it is finally ready to see the light of day.]Irena is an eighteen year-old high school senior, counting the days away until she can finally rid herself of her draining alcoholic mother. On one of her many late-night walks, she is introduced to a persistent man who refuses to leave her be. As she finally begins to give him the friendship he wants, it becomes clear that he is much more than meets the eye.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Irena sighed as she walked down the dimly lit street, a rock clicking against the wet pavement as she kicked it forward. Quite frequently she found herself under the same street lights that glowed a musty yellow, illuminating the wear and tear the sidewalk had endured over the years. While some may have found walking under the blanket of night alone eerie, she found that doing so helped rid her of the throws of her day to day life, melting it into an unrecognizable sludge of what it once was. Due to the now passing storm, the street had become overtaken by a thick fog, making it almost impossible to see more than about five feet in any direction. Footsteps suddenly echoed out from behind her, alerting her to a presence that seemed almost a bit too close. Continuing on her path home, she became overwhelmed by curiosity and threw a look behind her over her shoulder, coming up empty. Her steps took on a newfound intensity, her pace picking up ever so slightly as to not alert whoever was following her. When the street only radiated her own noises once more, she decided to come to a slow halt, turning to check behind her one last time. It was then her gaze captured the almost ungodly sight of the man before her. His milk-white skin contrasted vividly with his eyes, a swallowing black that gave way to red irises. His face adorned with piercings around his eyebrow, septum, and the bridge of his nose, his ears stretched to the size of about a quarter, maybe more. 

"Boo." He exclaimed, a smirk playing on his unnatural vermilion lips.

"Why are you following me?" She hissed, chalking his appearance up to contacts and foundation.

"Following you? I don't know what you're talking about." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't play dumb, I know you're following me." She muttered.

"I am doing no such thing. I mean, c'mon, look at you. You seriously think I would follow someone who looks like they just walked out of Hot Topic?" He scoffed. She looked down at her attire. Sure, she wasn't the most normally dressed person to walk the earth but his observation was far from being true. 

"I look like I just walked out of Hot Topic? How about you, creep. You're the one with all the piercings and wearing jeans." She laughed.

"I happen to think I look wonderful." He grinned, revealing white bear trap-like teeth that seemingly glistened under the lights. She took a step back, clearly a bit surprised.

"Those are cool, I don't think I have ever seen anything like that." She murmured.

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" He stated, looking a bit bored with the situation.

"Oh, blow me." She responded, rolling her eyes.

"Well, as long is the favor is returned, I might be able to." He joked.

"In your dreams. Anyways, I'm going to continue my walk and would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly go fuck yourself." She tightly smiled with narrowed eyes. 

"See you around, I guess." He murmured.

"Hopefully not." She replied, turning around. And with that, their first meeting came to an abrupt end.


	2. Chapter 2

Irena awoke to her alarm going off, instantly beginning her usual Monday routine. With a small yawn and half-closed eyes, she made her way into the bathroom, splashing some water on her face while she recalled the events from the night prior. The occurrence had been so odd, a bit jarring, and thankfully short. All of which left her feeling like maybe it had been a part of a dream, a mirage of memories built into a monster. She quickly dressed, troweled some dark makeup along her face before heading out the door, backpack carelessly slung over an arm. As any other day, she ignored her mother who was clearly passed out drunk on the couch without a care. Hastily, she made her way to school, the option of ditching almost mouthwatering. School had never been an issue for her, not until she lost it all the year prior. Nonetheless, within a few months she would finally rid herself of the snide remarks, the sideways glances, and the infrequent prodding and pushing. Her classes went by quickly, and before she knew it, she found herself exiting the building as the bell echoed out. Walking along the path home, she considered what she would do once graduation came. 

"Hey!" A familiar voice exclaimed. She glanced around to find the guy from last night walking up next to her.

"Who are you?" She hissed, her anger evident. Clearly this man had been following her, and for who knows how long. 

"Nobody." He chuckled, a mischievous smile pulling on his features. He didn't even try to hide the satisfaction he was getting out of the entire encounter.

"Whatever. What do you want from me, anyway?" She snapped. The guy shrugged and continued on walking beside her, his sickly smile somehow spilling salt into the wound.

"While I'm sure it would be quite the pain for you, I may have been considering some sort of conversation." He stated. Of course he hadn't known what he wanted, he didn't even know what he was doing here. His current alibi was boredom, and though he would stick to it, it just wasn't true. Her gaze softened as she looked around, allowing a sigh to escape her plump lips.

"Well, quite frankly, it's pretty easy to see why you are so hard up for a friend. Nobody would want to be around a stalking creep like you. And the personality just makes it all the more worse." She replied.

"I wouldn't flatter yourself and call it stalking. And I will have you know I am quite popular where I come from." 

"Ha! As if! Someone like you? No way!"

"You're one to talk." He scoffed.

"I didn't mean by your appearance, I meant your un-swallowable ego and personality." She replied.

"Really? So you find me, hard to swallow?" He joked, an eyebrow raised. For the first time so far, he had somehow managed to make her laugh.

"Seriously, what is your name?" She asked.

"Not important in the slightest." He replied with a small shrug.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She teased, offering a small smile while she wiggled her brows.

"I don't very much care to know your name, I think that will be a hard pass on my part." He sighed, appearing bored.

"Don't you have a home to go to? A rock to crawl under?" She muttered, her playful nature now dulled.

"No. It would appear as though I am free all day to bother you." He joked.

"Wow, I must be special." She responded, offering a sarcastic smile.

"You say it like it's a good thing." He mumbled.

"What do you do with your petty life, anyways?" He added.

"You really are just too kind. But, I mostly sleep and read. An old past-time of mine is definitely art, but as I said, old." She chuckled.

"Ah, so you stopped?" He asked.

"Quite frankly, I don't think that is any of your business. Especially if I can't get your name, or even the first letter of it." 

"It's S. Happy now?" 

"I guess. I did indeed stop." She mumbled, yet again remembering last year, her eyes hazing over in a sorrowful recollection.

"That's disappointing to hear, you look like one of those artists who are so bad it's almost good. I'd bet you were a painter; a very emo, edgy one." He joked. She immediately scoffed.

"I was not, thank you very much. I happened to enjoy drawing, painting wasn't my thing. And there is very much a large difference between goth and emo." She stated. He nodded in response, a silence falling between them. They approached her front steps and she met his eyes.

"I have no idea why you choose to be this way." She stated.

"As in what I am, or what I do?" He asked.

"What do you mean by 'what I am'?" She retorted.

"These don't come out." He replied, smiling widely so his teeth were on display. Yet again, that unnatural bear trap of a mouth.

"Yeah, sure. Now I know you're crazy." She laughed. He just chuckled to himself.

"If that is what you wish to believe." He shrugged. She yet again narrowed her eyes at him, this time raising an eyebrow along with them.

"Anyways, I'm going home now, I wish you the best of luck with whatever is going on up there." She stated, pointing to his head before turning and opening the door. Upon no response, she looked to where he once stood, only to find him gone. Glancing around both sides of the street and coming up empty, it would appear as if he just vanished into thin air.

Time seemed to dance itself away from Irena as she cleaned up the mess left in wake of her mother. Bottles, trash, just general untidiness; it seemed all that woman could bring into life was a consuming and absolute mess, in every sense of the term. When she was satisfied with her work, she took to chipping away at some of the homework that had been piling up around her in an almost strangulating manner. After everything that had happened, it was easy to give up hope and allow simple tasks such as that to build and build, almost with no negative emotions on her part. It wasn't until she began an attempt at picking up the pieces of her shattered self did she begin to face the plethora of undone tasks. Minutes ticked by, leading into hours, and before she knew it, night had fallen upon her hometown, dimming her room so slowly she hadn't noticed until she finished some math papers and was about to move onto the next subject. The second her finger flicked the light switch into an on position, S was suddenly standing near the window.

"What in the actual fuck are you doing? I should seriously be calling the police or someone right now. How'd you get in here?" She hissed, an idle hand reaching for the chest that held her rapidly beating heart.

"As if you would believe me if I told you." He scoffed.

"Whatever, I momentarily forgot that you were a total mental case. What are you doing here?" She sighed, dropping the hand and moving to sit back at her desk. He simply offered her a small shrug.

"Miss me so much you had to come see me?" She teased. He snorted.

"I bet a woman like you would just adore it if I said that, huh?" He retorted.

"Clearly, you don't know much about someone like me or else you wouldn't be here now, would you?" She smirked, poking him where she hoped it hurt.

"I was bored and figured I would seek out entertainment in you." He offered, sitting down on the edge of her bed across from her.

"I am not your personal clown, go find something else. Or, I don't know, be normal and go to bed? It is like, twelve at night." She muttered, eyes glancing to the bed on her nightstand that flashed 12:01 in bold, red letters.

"If this is such normal practice, then why are you awake?" He asked.

"I, for one, had something to attend to. I'm sure you have no idea what that feels like, considering your complete and utter lack of any form of life." She scoffed, getting out of the chair and organizing the papers into a neat pile before turning to face him once more.

"And I happen to be heading to bed now, anyways." She added, crawling onto her usual side of the bed and attempting to get comfortable.

"With the lights on?" He laughed. Her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, now go find something else to entertain you because I need to be up in the morning." She hissed.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" He chuckled, not letting it go.

"I am not afraid of the dark!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, you really are! Ha!" He continued.

"Whatever, as if you're one to judge considering you're fucking insane. Why don't you just make yourself scarce!" She hissed, angrily turning over in bed.

"And why would I do that? The fun is just starting!" He stated. She let out a bit of an annoyed sigh before sitting up a bit in bed.

"You say you want entertainment, what's in it for me, huh? What do I get in return for playing this stupid game with you?" She hissed.

"Name your price and I will see if it's worth it." He shrugged.

"Fine, you know what? I want your name, the real one." She replied.

"Fine. Samahain. Happy?" He murmured.

"Samahain? As in the Wiccan Halloween? And you made fun of me for being afraid of the dark! Oh wow, I can't even imagine what school was like for you as a child!" She laughed. Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes at her.

"For one, you don't know anything. And for two, I am glad you admit your completely illogical and absolutely childish fear." He smugly smiled.

"So what if I like to sleep with the light on. At least I'm not named something stupid like Samahain. Was that why you didn't wanna tell me?" She chuckled.

"You know what? I think I've come to the conclusion that I no longer require your entertainment." He stated, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Is that code for 'you hurt my precious little feelings and now I am going to bail'?"

"Trust me, it's gonna take a lot more than that to hurt my 'feelings', so, no." He muttered.

"No, I really think I struck a chord." She giggled, a light smile playing on her lips.

"Whatever, goodnight." He hissed.

"Goodnight." She replied. Within the blink of an eye, she was left alone in her room, almost grinning at her victory as she laid back down.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon awaking, she found her thoughts immediately drawn to the prior days, not only wondering if these weird appearances were going to continue, but also how he managed to just... Disappear into thin air like that. By now she knew that he was most certainly crazy, but, she had to admit that it felt nice to have some company again. After all, it had been a year since she had been encased in a friendship, even one as odd as this one. Within minutes she was facing the day, dressed and ready with her backpack secured tightly around her, noting that summer was on it's way with the rising temperature. 

Suddenly, a familiar face appeared beside her, matching her strides.

"Hello." He stated with a smile. 

"Done trying to heal your wounded ego, Samahain?" She smiled. He gently rolled his eyes and mirrored her expression.

"Sure, something like that." He replied.

"How the hell do you do that, by the way?" She asked.

"Do what?" He countered.

"Seemingly appear or disappear out of thin air." She explained.

"Maybe I do?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, sure." She laughed. 

"Believe what you will." He sighed. She rolled her eyes and began to walk just the tiniest bit faster.

"Y'know, the more you force me to be around you, the more I realize why you have no friends." She murmured.

"Didn't you say that yesterday? Very original of you." He retorted.

"Whatever. Why are you following me, anyways?" She asked.

"That is something I do not feel as though I need to answer." He replied.

"And why exactly is that?" She said.

"The way I see it, that is none of your business. It is not as if you have any choice in the matter anyways." He shrugged.

"No choice, huh? We will see about that." She smirked, walking a fair bit faster. Not for a second did he fall behind.

"Oh, really?" He grinned. She offered him no response, deciding to ignore him for however long it took until he would leave her alone.

"How wonderful. I just adore playing games, you know." He added. She turned her head to the side, avoiding eye contact.

"Though I must say, there is no point in trying. You will find I am quite hard to get rid of once I have any sort of interest." He stated. Once again, there was no response. A moment of silence passed as he appeared to be deep in thought before an absolutely awful idea plagued his mind.

"Well, so be it." He shrugged, once again completely disappearing. Her feet halted and she hesitated to look around. There was no way he was anything short of a head case, right? He was just playing some trick, of course that had to be it. Either way, she continued her path to school, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Another feeling was also creeping around, the feeling paired to the thought of just what if?

School passed by fairly slow, the entire time the same few questions ran around her brain. When it was finally time to head home, she was wondering if she would yet again see him. Just as she thought maybe he had finally cleaned his hands of her, he appeared yet again beside her, matching her strides. 

"Hello." He cheerfully greeted. 

"I was thinking..." She trailed off, glancing at the grass sticking out of the cracks on the sidewalk. 

"You insist you are inhuman, so why don't you prove it?" She finished. 

"Finally considered the possibility I wasn't a nut-case, hm?" He chuckled. 

"I wouldn't say that." She replied with a frown. It was then his smile grew into the most devious grin. There were so many wonderful ways to prove himself right. 

"And how exactly do you wish for me to prove this to you?" He asked.

"I don't know, you figure it out." She shrugged.

"Probably shouldn't have suggested that." He laughed. It was then his fingers wrapped around her wrist in an almost painful embrace, and suddenly she found herself alone in what appeared to be a dark forest, an extremely dark forest. Definitely not near her hometown, that could be for sure. It was in this moment she came to the realization that she had caught the interest of something, something that was well beyond her comprehension. 

"Okay, I believe you now!" She called out, looking in all directions. Nothing but trees surrounded her, the only light being the moon that shone through the cracks of the leaves above her. Nothing came of her words. Slowly a crushing weight made itself onto her, the weight of utter fear. She didn't dare move, didn't dare adventure further into what could be her worst nightmare. She just stood, in shock, staring forward from the spot she had been planted. 

"This isn't funny!" She yelled, her distress clear. Yet again, no answer. Just as she was about to yell once more, a twig snapped behind her. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, leaving a splatter of blood and tissue. She couldn't will herself to turn around, that seemed impossible. Something seemingly grabbed at her ankle and instantly she was off, running from whatever terror lingered behind. Just then, without warning, she was once more grabbed and found herself back on the aging sidewalk, the rays of sun illuminating the area. Worst of all, in front of her was the thing that caused her entire ordeal. 

"Believe me now?" He laughed, clearly labeling the experience as some sort of joke. 

"Fuck. You." She spat, walking around him. It took a few long blinks for her to fully adjust back to where she was, and boy was she grateful to no longer find herself in those creepy woods.

"What do you mean? It was a harmless prank!" He exclaimed, following after her. 

"Leave me alone." She muttered, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a jog. 

"Fine." He replied. And with that, he was gone, leaving her to continue home alone. 

The rest of her night was spent sitting up in bed, staring at the wall. She had finally decided to believe him when it comes to him being something unnatural, inhuman. But with that decision came the big question of if not that, then what? And why develop this seemingly obsession with her? Why was she special? Her thoughts were so consumed that she didn't notice the sun beginning to rise, signaling the usual start of her day. With it came the harsh reality, either she had been experiencing extreme hallucinations the past three days, or she had befriended something otherworldly. Slowly, she got ready, not able to focus on anything except the thoughts bombarding her brain like bullets, poking holes through the very fabric of what had been her reality. Absentmindedly, she left the house and began her usual stroll towards the school. A few steps in, Samahain appeared in front of her, causing her to trip over her own feet in an attempt to halt herself.

"Hey-" He started.

"I thought about it, and I can see how that would be traumatizing to somebody like you." He finished.

"Thanks for that utterly terrible apology, now, if you'll excuse me I have a school to get to." She murmured, brushing past him.

"I can explain." He sang in an almost sadistic manner, as if he knew that one card in itself was the one thing she craved most, surely enough to make her listen. Begrudgingly, she paused and turned to face him, finding an almost terrifying grin on his face, showcasing the bear trap of a mouth.

"Fine." She sighed. It was then he continued his advances, walking up to her side, the pair continuing on down the street as they usually did.

"It wasn't real." He stated.

"Completely made up." He added with a simple shrug.

"What do you mean?" She hissed.

"I mean, you asked for proof, I gave it to you in the best way I know how. A canvas painted by yours truly." He explained.

"That's sadistic."

"That's me."

"And you're an asshole." She added. 

"To some." He shrugged. 

"How'd you do it? Make something like that?" She asked. 

"I didn't say I would explain everything, it is much too soon for that. Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." He smiled. 

"If you aren't human, then just what exactly are you?" 

"Ah, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?" He laughed. She stared at him for a second before turning back around and beginning to walk towards the school. 

"I'm not interested in your game!" She called behind her. 

"But you've already began playing!"


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Irena found herself walking to school completely alone for the first time since meeting Samahain. She was appreciative of this fact, yet weary. Throughout her time at school, she found herself staring off, not paying attention to a single thing as the hours ticked by. Recent events, along with her unmotivated stance on education were the perfect mixture to allow her to not care as she slipped even further behind. She knew she was going nowhere, why put in any effort? 

When the bell finally rang signaling the end of classes, she exited the building to find the last living thing from who she used to be. The last shred of evidence that it was all real, the old her was real. And he loved to make this fact painfully known on a day to day basis. When she made an attempt to quietly walk past, she was greeted by a foot jutting out into her calve, causing her to trip and fall all the way down the concrete stairs. For a second she laid there, staring up into the sky and wondering where had she gone wrong in life, what had she done to deserve the way everything turned so rancid so quickly? She was a bit dazed, maybe because of the fall, maybe because of everything that had been going on the past few days. Either way, stare she did, examining the clouds, how they gently drifted in and out of her field of view. Suddenly, a hand made its way into her vision, holding itself out in an offering way. It was then she snapped into self-awareness. She glanced at it, following it up to its owner and finding Samahain peering down at her. Refusing his help and pulling herself up, she dusted herself off a bit and looked around, finding it was lacking the usual passerby's. 

"Did anyone see you?" She hissed, beginning to walk towards her home. 

"A thank you would be nice." He murmured. 

"Wouldn't that just tickle you pink? As if your ego needs any more inflation." She scoffed. 

"I'm flattered you believe your mere words could have such an effect on me." He smiled. 

"Yeah, yeah. Clearly you have no life and no friends, you've had to take up bothering me as a hobby. I'm assuming your ego is so bruised you need my 'mere words' as a boost of confidence." She joked. 

"As if you're one to talk. What the hell do you do? Go to school, go home, rinse and repeat. How pitiful of a life is that. At least I have a bit of spice in my life." He shrugged. 

"Oh really? And what spice is that exactly?" She smirked. 

"Maybe I'll show you sometime." He shrugged. 

"Sure, that's like the age old 'of course I have a girlfriend she just goes to another school!'". She laughed. He gave her a small glare, but kept a smirk playing on his lips. 

"I most certainly do not have to prove myself to somebody like you." He huffed. 

"Somebody like me? Ouch." She chuckled. 

They approached her house as she glanced over at him. 

"See you around, weirdo." She stated. 

"See you around, freak." He replied.


	5. Chapter 5

When Irena awoke, the first thing she realized it was still dark outside. Glaring over at her alarm clock, she was greeted with a glowing red 3:00 AM. Allowing a light sigh to pass her lips, she wondered if Samahain would be making an appearance as it was now Saturday and she had never seen him on a weekend before. Absentmindedly, she peered out the window and watched as the sun slowly rose and painted the sky a light blue shade of morning. For some reason or another, she found herself drawn to what she had banished from her room long ago, the one thing that she used to find solace in. Her eyes wandered to the closet where she kept all of her old drawings and before she knew it, she was walking over, opening the door, and sitting down in front of the rather large cardboard box. Her fingers numbly grasped the cover and gently placed it to the side. Though she was able to open the container, she couldn't find it in herself to actually reach in and touch anything, as if doing so would somehow allow the old feelings to seep back into her. 

"Why me?" She whispered, her eyes clouding over as she once more recalled old memories.

"Talking to yourself, are we now?" The familiar voice of Samahain chuckled. She immediately grabbed the lid and slammed it down, closing the closet door.

"Yes, actually. I was. And hasn't anyone taught you what it means to knock?" She hissed.

"Well, I quite enjoy casually popping up like this." He shrugged.

"Are you ever going to tell me how you do it? What you are?" She asked.

"Itching that much for an explanation?" He smiled. At this point she stood and made her way over to the end of the bed.

"Yes. If I can get one." She nodded. 

"Do you believe in something more than that which you are presented with here on earth?" He questioned.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" She mumbled.

"Something more than just this, something deeper." He added.

"Like...? Heaven? Hell? That sort of thing?" She chuckled.

"Yes, that sort of thing." He nodded.

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore." She shrugged.

"Well, I assure you, life beyond death is quite real." He replied. 

"And you are saying you're from Heaven, or Hell?" She asked, clearly skeptical. He made his way over to a potted plant she had on her desk, completely ignoring her question.

"Do you care much for this?" He asked.

"No, not really." She confessed. Slowly, it began to wither into almost nothing, the plant now clearly dead.

"Believe me now?" He smirked. When she didn't reply, the plant suddenly rewound through the process, its leaves suddenly becoming more vibrant than ever.

"What else can you do?" She asked, staring at it.

"Lots of things." He shrugged.

"And you didn't answer my question, you're from Heaven, or Hell?" She asked.

"Are you really asking me that?" He retorted.

"Hell." He sighed.

"So, are you like a god, or a demon, what exactly are you?" She wondered.

"That, is a very long and complicated story. Old, is what I am." He stated with a small chuckle. A moment of silence passed.

"Now, I have answered a few of your questions and find it only fit you answer some of mine." He said. She nodded in agreement.

"What's in the box?" He asked.

"Drawings." She shrugged.

"I am very much confused at what you said earlier when I got here, please explain." He replied.

"The person who got me into making art and I had a sort of... Falling out, you could say. It completely changed my life, and who I am. I was just wondering why. What I did to deserve it." She mumbled.

"What happened?" He pressed.

"Maybe another day we can get into it, but not today." She stated, giving a light shake of her head.

"What did you hope to gain from coming here, anyway?" She added, hoping he would get the hint and not mention it further.

"Entertainment." He shrugged.

"We could... Play a board game?" She suggested. His face turned up in disgust.

"Why in the world would you spend your time doing such things?" He hissed.

"Because they are a great way to pass it, my mum and I used to play them back in the day." She explained, taking a slightly saddened tone.

"Okay, fine. We can play your silly board game." He agreed. She made her way down onto the floor and pulled out a few of them from under the bed.

"We have... Shoots and Ladders, Candyland, and Sorry." She stated.

"You disgust me." He complained.

"Okay, Shoots and Ladders it is, then." She smiled, grabbing it and setting it up on the floor. Samahain sighed and begrudgingly made his way down, sitting across from her.

"Your existence is distasteful, you know that?" He joked.

"Yes, but at least as distasteful as it is, I am nothing like you." She teased as she stuck her tongue out, reaching over to grab her character piece. Her sleeve rose ever so slightly, enough to showcase a small portion of the damage she had inflicted a few nights ago.

"I wasn't aware you self-injured." He curiously stated.

"Have for awhile now." She murmured, snatching her hand back and flicking the spinner.

"Why?" He questioned.

"You wouldn't understand if I attempted to explain." She sighed.

"Try me." He shrugged.

"Why else would I do it? It helps." She mumbled.

"And the dangers don't stop you, keep you away?" He muttered.

"No, I don't exactly have a fear of death." She explained. The loss of who she once was had left a gaping hole inside her, a void that was seemingly impossible to fill. Sometimes, if she was honest with herself, she did consider how much easier things would be if she could just cease to exist. 

"I'm quite certain I could put that in you easily." He grumbled.

"It's your turn, and has been for a bit." She stated, attempting to change the topic. Agitation bloomed in his features, but he selected a playing piece and spun the wheel, moving accordingly.

"May I ask you a few more questions?" She wondered.

"You certainly may, though I cannot assure you I will answer any, if all." He nodded.

"You say you're from Hell, do you live there or here on Earth?" She asked.

"I do currently reside there, though I have taken up residence in other places at times." He replied.

"And, if Heaven is real, is it really the land of dreams as promised?" She added.

"If you enjoy being around a bunch of Christians and having a white picket fence, maybe." He shrugged.

"Still don't believe me fully?" He chuckled.

"No, still trying to find out if this is some big joke you're playing on me. Wouldn't put it past you. I mean, what is the point in explaining this whole thing to me anyway, why not just dodge my questions and insult me as per usual?" She stated.

"Maybe I am just in a better mood?" He offered.

"Yeah, sure. I'm not even convinced you have a mood other than grouchy and cynical." She scoffed.

"I understand how it would be hard for your tiny brain to understand this, but I assure you it is the truth." He replied.

"My brain isn't tiny, it takes two hands to hold." She murmured.

"If you're afraid of dropping it, maybe." He joked.

"Like you've held one before." She scoffed.

"I have, and quite frankly I believe the fact that I could do so with a single hand proves that it is not large in size compared to other things, thus, it is tiny or at least small." He said.

"You can also hold a dick with a single hand and I would bet that you don't refer to yours as tiny or small." She laughed.

"Well, there is a sort of scale when it comes to that, one that isn't exactly available for when it comes to brains." He stated.

"You just proved my point." She smirked.

"And how exactly is that?" He questioned.

"There is no scale, therefor you cannot label one as small or large. Meaning you are incorrect." She grinned.

"Why are we even talking about this? The topic in itself is idiotic." He hissed.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were right." She shrugged. She flicked the spinner and moved her piece accordingly. Wondering why he hadn't come up with some sarcastic remark in response, she turned her attention to him and found that his eyes were glued to the hardwood flooring.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Fine. I will be back." He stated, disappearing into thin air. It was still an extremely jarring action, and Irena questioned if it were possible for her to ever get used to it. Assuming he would most likely take awhile, she decided to leave the game where it lay and head into the bathroom in search of a possibly calming shower. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror before cringing. Her bangs looked awful and she was beginning to sport a bird's nest. Questioning how he hadn't made fun of her for her bed-head, she began to undress and get into the shower, turning the water on to almost it's hottest setting. Her lips parted and from them came a sigh of content as water droplets stung the flesh of her back. A good twenty minutes of scrubbing ensued, and once she was -for the most part- happy, she exited and dried off. Her black hair flowed like an onyx river, framing her face as she dressed before walking back into her room. It was then she discovered Samahain sitting on the edge of her bed. 

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"Not that long." He shrugged a reply.

"What happened?" She questioned.

"Nothing I wish to speak of." He grumbled. She gave a slight eye-roll before returning to her side of the board game.

"Fine, but we do have a game to finish." She stated. He offered her a small smile before joining her on the ground.

"I believe it's your turn." She added, urging him to continue. The spinner was flicked, and his piece was moved.

"Looks like you're losing." She teased, beginning to take her turn.

"As if. And even if you did win, this is purely a game of luck. Nothing to brag about." He stated.

"Oh, really?" She smirked.

"Yes, really." He replied. She spun, at this point finding herself so close to winning she could almost taste the victory. One more slide and she won. Samahain took his turn, surpassing her and finding a spot at the end.

"What?!" She exclaimed, almost in disbelief.

"It appears as though I was right." He boasted.  
"Game of luck, remember? Nothing to brag about!" She hissed.

"Maybe I was wrong about that part. It did take some effort to get there." He smugly smiled.

"Well I for one demand a rematch!" She stated.

"A rematch? Why? So you can just lose to me again?" He replied.

"Oh, you little-" She cut herself off, arm swiping the board, all of the pieces flying across the room before grabbing the board itself and folding it up.

"Somebody does not take losing well. I think there's a word for it, sore loser? Not a team player?" He laughed, purposefully poring salt in the wound.

"I hate you!" She seethed, glaring at him.

"Oh, come on. You don't mean that." He replied.

"Cheater." She murmured.

"Fine, you want your rematch? You'll get it." He stated, fixing the board.

The second round, Irena did indeed win.

"Ha! See! You are a filthy cheater! Caught in the act!" She grinned.

"I did no such thing! How would you even cheat at a game like this, and what is even the point?" He hissed.

"Sure, I think there is a word for what you are, a sore loser, perhaps?" She smirked. This time he was the one to look upon her with narrowed eyes.

"Sore loser? Sore loser? I'll show you a sore loser!" He laughed, pushing the board game away and tackling her, the pair toppling over. Instantly he was berating her, tickling her mercilessly. 

"H-Hey! Fuck you!" She giggled, squirming under him.

"In your dreams!" He replied.

"In my dreams, you die!" She hissed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, sure." He stuck his tongue out at her, one that came to an odd point similar to that of a snake's, before halting his assault and returning to his original position.

"Still a loser." She whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely edited. 
> 
> Also I have made a playlist for anybody interested, you can find it here:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58RR8QBCtWxQeuVdvWiwEy?si=V2SZqQPcQJSU4wgwiGN6SQ

Sunday had disappeared almost as quickly as it had reared it's ugly head. It was the first day since meeting Samahain that Irena once more bore the strangling weight of solitary, subjected herself to the thoughts that ripped through her like a rusted blade. When the sun laid behind the trees, the moon finally taking it's place, she found solace in being able to lay her head to rest. At least for the few mere seconds before she plummeted directly into into the land of her dreams, dreams which tormented her, distorting all that had occurred throughout her life. While they were once peaceful, she was now plagued by the beautiful facade of her last moments of happiness, typically twisting themselves into visions that brought nothing but dread. Until that Sunday. That night she dreamed no more of the echo left behind from what once was, but the revels of flesh in all it's sweet perfection. Lips that roamed without a care, hands exploring, cherishing each other in a lusty haze. 

The blaring of her alarm clock pulled her from her dream. Seconds passed of her straining to adjust to reality as she recalled just how vivid, how unreal it had been. However odd or awkward, she was happy to have at least some break from what usually ravaged her in her slumber. She had been a bit dazed as she went through her usual activities of getting ready for the day, grabbed her bag and exited. With each step she couldn't help but think back to it, how his skin had felt, just how vivid it had been. It was then Samahain appeared, walking beside her with equal stride.

"Good morning." He smiled, taken on a much merrier demeanor than usual. 

"Hi." She shortly replied, unable to cast her gaze in his direction.

"What's gotten you all embarrassed?" He teased with a small smirk.

"Nothing." She murmured.

"Oh, it is definitely something. And it must involve me considering you won't even look my way." He chuckled. Out of spite and need to prove him wrong, her eyes met his, yet his smirk only grew.

"I just had a weird dream." She shrugged, returning her gaze to the path ahead of her. 

"Really? About me?" He pressed. 

"Screw you." She replied.

"Dream about me often, do you?" He joked. At this, she pursed her lips and offered no response.

"C'mon, you totally dream about me, just admit it." He boasted. 

"I absolutely do not!" She hissed. 

"Sure." He smiled. They were now rapidly approaching her school. 

"Oh look, my school, guess you'll have to leave." She angrily smiled. 

"Y'know what? I think I should tag along today." He devilishly smirked. 

"Oh no you are most certainly fucking not! What if somebody sees you?" She exclaimed. 

"They won't. They can't." He shrugged plainly.

"What?" She questioned, still clearly upset. 

"Just trust me." He replied with a passive eye roll. 

"Great." She muttered, giving a sigh as they neared the entrance. She almost couldn't believe her eyes as she watched him trip people going up the same set of stairs as they were, and received all the blame herself. When they had finally made it to her first period class, Samahain had decided to sit on the tile floor next to her desk. When she shot him a questioning look, he simply lifted a finger to his lips in a shushing manner. The students filed in, taking their seats, he jumped into action and crawled on his hands and knees in order to tie shoelaces together. His next course of action, considering they were in the science lab, was to turn all the burners on one by one, throwing papers around in the process. This provoked a lot of chaos, students throwing words of a ghost haunting the class around. Irena was less than pleased, though some of his actions did indeed receive a small laugh from her.

When lunch had finally rolled around, Irena made her way to the only deserted table and sat, Samahain following suit and sitting across from her. 

"I hate you." She whispered, though a small smile played on her lips. 

"I hate me, too." He replied. A small second of silence surrounded them before she noticed him staring at something behind her. Just as she was about to open her mouth and speak of it, the feeling of wet, squishy food had been dumped upon her head, slowly sliding down her hair, seeping onto her scalp. 

"Oh, sorry, my bad. Figured you could use a bit of a makeover." A voice from behind snickered. Irena immediately recognized it as Missy, who upon delivering her insult, walked away. Samahain tried to hold in a fit of laughter after taking one look at the now food-covered girl, but couldn't help himself. It was then she stood and briskly walked into the girls room, locking herself away in a stall.Within seconds, the squeaking of shoes on the ground echoed within the bathroom, her eyes catching a glimpse of what appeared to be combat boots.

"Smells like shitty food in here." The voice of Samahain joked. 

"Go away." She whined, no longer caring if a passerby heard and viewed her as crazy.

"C'mon, she's a wench. Fuck her." He murmured. Silence answered him. 

"Will you open the door?" He added. 

"No." She sniffled.

"Please?" He pressed. 

"Why? So you can laugh at me? Again?" She mumbled. 

"I promise I won't." He offered. She sniffled a bit more but agreed, slowly opening the door and meeting his gaze. 

"You look... Great." He strained, clearly trying not to laugh. She was seconds away from locking herself back up when he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her to the sink.

"What are you doing?" She sighed.

"What's it look like I'm doing? Helping you." He stated. She had a feeling the events of today would come back to haunt her in the form of incessant joking in the near future. 

"Are you going to let me do that?" He asked. She slowly nodded, a solemn looking blooming on her face.

"Okay, let's get this junk out of your hair." He sighed, turning the sink on. She allowed him to gently lead her to the water before leaning into it. 

"Too warm?" He quietly questioned. 

"No." She replied, watching as the food collected in the drain.

"Your hair is like a mop." He joked. 

"Your hair is longer than mine!" She accused. He didn't respond.

"Alright, I think you're all set." He stated, turning the water off. She stood straight and began to wring out her hair, droplets of water sliding down the back of her neck in an uncomfortable manner. 

"Aside from looking like a drowned rat, of course." He added. She glared at him. 

"Your shirt is ruined though." He added, inspecting the copious amounts of staining. 

"It's fine, never cared for this thing much anyways." She murmured.

"Here." He stated, taking off his long sleeved shirt to reveal a black tank top. Irena hesitated, an eerie sight before her. She had been surprised at how vivid her dream had been, the details still crisp in her memory. His skin, covered in unique tattooing, was a carbon copy of that which she had seen.

"Make sure to burn it when you're done, I don't want your diseases." He added. She snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes meeting his. 

"Diseases? Oh, screw you." She laughed. He gave a small smile, and just like that, disappeared. 

The rest of her day washed itself down the drain almost too quickly, the bell jarringly tearing her from the whirlwind that had consumed her mind. She scurried out of the building as she always had, avoiding the searing stairs of those who surrounded her. She remembered when those very same people had viewed her as something so much more than met the eye, treated her as if she were an equal. How easy it had been to fall from grace. A bitter taste filled her mouth at the thought as she made her way along. Surprisingly, there hadn't been any interruption during the trek home, though she was expecting one. Once in the safety of her room, she dropped her bag, settling down in the chair next to her desk. With closed eyes she leaned back, her mind torn. She berated herself, questioning over and over again how she could have been so idiotic, so innocent, gullible, to believe things would have worked out in her favor. Of course she had ended up with any ounce of hope obliterated, replaced only by a deafening scream that cursed the world and everything in it. She just wished that she had been able to save some shred of herself, if anything else. 

"Hello." The voice of Samahain greeted. Instantly she jumped, her eyelids snapping open.

"Okay, if you're gonna fucking do that at least make some smaller noise first, Jesus!" She exclaimed. 

"What is it with everyone and Jesus? Jesus this, Jesus that?" He murmured. 

"Comes a lot easier than other options. What are you doing here, anyways?" She asked, calming ever so slightly. He offered a small shrug, finding a seat on the end of her bed. 

"Well, I've got a question." She started.

"Oh?" He smiled. 

"Yeah, what do you know about dreams?" An evil smirk adorned his features. 

"Why do you ask?" He replied, clearly feigning innocence.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" She countered. 

"Not avoiding, just wondering why out of all the things, you pick dreams as the first thing to talk about." He stated.

"Not the first, I asked about the whole appearing thing and you just wrote me off." 

"And now you're the one changing the subject."

"No, I- Y'know what? Forget it. It's been a long day." She sighed. 

"No, I'll indulge. In exchange for your name." He offered.

"Really?" She scoffed. 

"Such a tiny piece of information for that? I thought you couldn't care less?"

"It's my deal, take it or leave it." He shrugged. 

"Fine, Irena, now spill."

"I can manipulate things. Like the day I took you to that forest. I create." He explained. 

"That explanation is missing something, but I guess it'll do." She murmured. A moment of silence passed. 

"So tell me then, if you create, and can create vastly like that forest, why seek entertainment in me? I mean you could have anything you wanted." She wondered. 

"Things are a lot different than people." 

"Yes, but people... Why even bother? You have everything, you don't even need people." 

"Sensing lots of resentment there, let's hear why." 

"Why else?" She rolled her eyes.

"Wait, let me guess! A best friend and you had a little argument and she no longer wanted to be friends."

"A bit more complicated than that, but, sure."

"Complicated makes me think that maybe this she is actually a he."

"Back to my original question. How often do you 'manipulate' dreams?" She sighed. 

"Definitely a he. Infrequently, really." He answered. 

"There was more than one, okay?" She hissed. 

"Wow." Irena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fuck off, you know what I meant."

"I know, I know. Sometimes I just can't help myself." He smiled. 

"And neither can you. You really have had a long day, huh?" He added.

"Yeah. I don't like her, the girl from earlier."

"Why? I mean aside from the obvious reasons, of course."

"It's just going back to the whole friend thing. Like I said, it's complicated."

"I happen to take complicated very well."

"Listen, I know you're kind of a hopeless hermit, but typically when someone offers the responses that I am, it means they don't wanna talk about it." She sarcastically replied.

"Hermit? I'll have you know I used to be the life of the party where I come from." 

"And how long ago was that, ten years?" She scoffed. 

"Like you're one to judge, you don't even go outside the house unless it's for school."

"I used to. I went to parties all the time." 

"Right. What was it you said one of the first days we met? Sounds a lot like the age old 'I have a girlfriend, she just goes to another school'?"

"Whatever." She groaned.

"I'm sorry but I just cannot picture you, Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes, anywhere social. Let alone dancing, drinking, all that."

"I'm not a goody two shoes." She murmured. He audibly scoffed. 

"Any evidence to back that up?"

"I'm failing math." She shrugged. 

"And you say I'm the one who's hopeless. Tell me more about the parties though, I'm interested."

"What is there to say? My friends and I used to go all the time. I was always the odd one out, though. I mean these weren't cute, these were we're doing coke and sucking cock." 

"In my book, that is cute. You should see what I used to do."

"Looks like we're both retired." She joked. 

"No, I'm retired. You on the other hand, you have so much more to see." He shook his head. 

"What about you, though? Why retire?" She asked.

"It got boring, I guess." He answered. 

"Really? For some reason I seriously doubt that." She said.

"It did. Truly. If we're getting into the nitty-gritty, there were a few other factors involved."

"Like?"

"And just why exactly should I tell you?"

"Why don't we trade, then?"

"Only if you go first." He smiled.

"Fine. Long and quite frankly messy story short, I had a falling out with my group of friends after things went south with my ex and I. Missi, the girl from today, took my place." She shrugged. 

"Ah. Well, if it's any consolation, she is definitely a downgrade."

"Your turn." She reminded. 

"I had something a bit similar, a bit of a disagreement with my partner in crime." He explained. 

"Partner in crime, huh?"

"That was a very long time ago, we've since split up." He added.

"Must have been more than a 'bit' of a disagreement, then." She murmured. 

"Yeah..." He trailed off, clearly caught up in thought. Following a short moment of silence, Irena spoke. 

"Hey, I actually have some work to catch up on. Mind if we continue this tomorrow?" She asked. 

"Sure. See you tomorrow, goody two shoes." He nodded. 

"Yeah, yeah, get going." She chuckled. And with that small exchange, he left.


End file.
